Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters| Stories of the Paranormal from the Smoky Mountains & Beyond

⛈️ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

🎵 Tonight, we ascend more than six thousand feet above sea level to the high, foggy grassy balds of Roan Mountain along the Tennessee and North Carolina border. For nearly 150 years, high-society guests at the grand Cloudland Hotel, Appalachian Trail hikers, loggers, and botanists have reported an unexplainable phenomenon drifting across Carver's Gap: the sound of a disembodied, multi-part vocal choir and swelling instruments echoing across uninhabited ridges. We dig into historical news archives, the scientific theories of acoustic resonance, and the lingering spirit lore of the mountain balds.

✨Be sure to follow or subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING

This episode explores the history, primary accounts, and natural acoustics of the Ghost Choir of Roan Mountain along the Tennessee-North Carolina line.

🏛️ HISTORICAL CONTEXT & REGIONAL ARCHIVES

• Carter County History & Regional Lore: [https://sos.tn.gov/tsla](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://sos.tn.gov/tsla)

•  Elizabethton Star Local History Archives: [https://elizabethton.com/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://elizabethton.com/)

• PBS North Carolina — The Roan Mountain Ghost Choir: [https://www.pbsnc.org/blogs/lifestyle/roan-mountain-ghost-choir/](https://www.pbsnc.org/blogs/lifestyle/roan-mountain-ghost-choir/)

• Asheville Citizen-Times Archives — Historical Reports on Cloudland Hotel & Ghost Choir: [https://www.newspapers.com/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.newspapers.com/)

🔎 FOLKLORE & REGIONAL MYSTERIES

• Appalachian Historian — The Roan Mountain Ghost Choir: Unearthly Music on the NC/TN Line: [https://appalachianhistorian.org/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://appalachianhistorian.org/)

• Appalachian Free Press — Lands in the Sky and Ghost Choirs of Roan Mountain: [https://appalachianfreepress.com/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://appalachianfreepress.com/)

• WATE Haunted Tennessee Series — The Ghost Choir of Roan Mountain: [https://www.wate.com/haunted-tennessee/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.wate.com/haunted-tennessee/)

⛈️ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

👰‍♀️ Tonight, we journey into Sullivan County, Tennessee, to high on a bluff where the North and South forks of the Holston River meet. Built in 1818 by Reverend Frederick Ross, Rotherwood Mansion holds a two-century legacy bound by frontier ambition, human servitude, and terrifying spectral haunts. We dive deep into the tragic tale of Rowena Ross, whose fiancé drowned in the Holston River on their wedding day—giving rise to the legend of the weeping Lady in White. Then, we step into the dark era of Joshua Phipps, a tyrannical master whose 1861 death brought a horrifying swarm of black flies and a monstrous, red-eyed phantom hound that still stalks the riverbank.

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING

This episode explores the history of Rotherwood Mansion in Kingsport, Tennessee, as well as the antebellum primary accounts, regional folklore, and ghost stories associated with the Ross and Phipps families.

🏛️ HISTORICAL CONTEXT & SULLIVAN COUNTY ARCHIVES

Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA)

• Genealogical Fact Sheets — Sullivan County, TN: https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/pages/genealogical-fact-sheets-about-sullivan-county

• Early East Tennessee Papers & Frederick A. Ross Collections: https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/ 

Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture / Historical Commission

• Tennessee Historical Commission — Rotherwood Historical Marker: https://www.tn.gov/historicalcommission.html

• Kingsport Archives & Historic Netherland Inn / Rotherwood Area: https://www.kingsportlibrary.org/archives/
  

Early Historical Print & Local Literature

• Goodspeed's History of Tennessee (1887) — Sullivan and Hawkins Counties: https://archive.org/details/historyoftenness00good_1

• The Story of Rotherwood from the Writings of Rev. Frederick A. Ross (1923) by Charles C. Ross: https://archive.org/details/storyofrotherwoo00ross
  

🔎 FOLKLORE & REGIONAL MYSTERIES

East Tennessee Folklore & Heritage

• Visit Kingsport — Historic Landmarks & Regional History: https://www.visitkingsport.com/

• Southern Highland Craft Guild & Appalachian Lore Archives: https://southernhighlandguild.org/
  

⛈️ Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

🧙‍♀️ Tonight, we explore a haunting so violent, it caught the attention of a future United States President. Deep in the shadows of Adams, Tennessee, a family was pushed to the brink of madness by an invisible entity that didn't just rattle dishes—it recited scripture, physically assaulted children, and set its sights on destroying a family patriarch. We’ll uncover the terrifying truth behind General Andrew Jackson’s sudden retreat from the Bell farm, the brutal psychological warfare waged against young Betsy Bell, and the chilling, documented demise of John Bell after facing an entity that claimed ultimate responsibility.

✨ New stories are added on weekends. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING

This episode explores the history of the Bell family haunting in Robertson County, Tennessee, as well as the 19th-century primary accounts, regional folklore, and modern skeptic theories associated with the legend.

🏛️ HISTORICAL CONTEXT & PRIMARY ACCOUNTS

• Tennessee Myths and Legends — The Bell Witch: https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/exhibits/myth/bellwitch.htm

• Genealogical Fact Sheets — Robertson County: https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/pages/genealogical-fact-sheets-about-robertson-county

• Bewitched in Tennessee — The Death of John Bell: https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2016/12/20/bewitched-tennessee

• Goodspeed's History of Tennessee (1886) — Middle Tennessee Counties: https://archive.org/details/historyoftenness00good_1

• An Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch (1894) by M.V. Ingram: https://books.google.com/books/about/An_Authenticated_History_of_the_Famous_B.html?id=yGNp0QEACAAJ

🔎 FOLKLORE & REGIONAL MYSTERIES

• Legend of the Bell Witch — Historic Bell Witch Cave: https://www.bellwitchcave.com/bell-witch-legend/

• The Official Home of The Bell Witch: https://www.bellwitchcave.com/

• The History of Robertson County, Tennessee (PDF Manuscript): https://www.tngenweb.org/goodspeed/robertson/robtco.pdf

⛈️Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️Tonight, I'm sharing our first listener submitted story! 😱In this episode of Eerie Encounters: Firsthand Frights, we step outside of Appalachia and into the hallways of a listener's childhood home. Draw your curtains, lock your doors, and join me as we venture into the shadows. You never know who wants to play.✨New episodes are added weekends. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? 📧Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future episode.

⛈️⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

🥽Tonight, we dive deeper into the lakes of Tennessee to explore the murky waters for the ghosts of communities passed. 🚤

✨New stories are added every Saturday @ 5 PM EST. Be sure to follow & subscribe to be notified of the latest episode! ✨

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀 
📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING

This episode explores the history of communities submerged by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reservoir projects, as well as the regional folklore and paranormal history associated with these areas.

🏛️ HISTORICAL CONTEXT & TVA ARCHIVES

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

The Town That Wouldn't Drown: https://tva.com/about-tva/our-history/built-for-the-people/the-town-that-wouldn-t-drown

Relocated Cemeteries: https://tva.com/environment/environmental-stewardship/land-management/cultural-resource-management/relocated-cemeteries

Loyston Sea — Tennessee River Valley Geotourism: https://tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org/entries/loyston-sea/82350731-c8d6-49b2-9a76-eaceb68e4f7f

Municipal & Local History

The Butler Museum, TN — Did Butler, TN really Drown?: https://www.thebutlermuseum.com/custom/index-id-130679

Carter County History — 1983 Watauga Lake Drawdown: http://www.cartercountyhistory.com/1983-lake-drawdown.html

Historic Union County — Beneath the Waters of Norris Reservoir: https://www.historicunioncounty.com/article/beneath-waters-norris-reservoir

The Complete Loy History Website — 1930s TVA Relocations: https://loyhistory.com/1930s-tva-relocations/

🔎 FOLKLORE & REGIONAL MYSTERIESCherokee History & Landmarks

Tennessee River Valley — Tanasi Memorial: https://tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org/entries/tanasi-memorial/1fadd22a-7677-4fd5-9492-2fc7fdc0f79d

Tennessee River Valley — Chota Memorial: https://tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org/entries/chota-memorial/bc0a10da-46fe-4253-b674-d0aeb5ce84d6

Visit Monroe TN — Landmarks: https://www.visitmonroetn.com/landmarks

Jeffrey’s Hell (Citico Creek Area)

Blue Ridge Outdoors — Jeffrey’s Hell: https://southernhighlanders.com/new/2021/03/26/jeffreys-hell-blue-ridge-outdoors/

Cherokee Hiking Club — Jeffrey Hell South Fork Citico Creek Trail: http://cherokeehikingclub.org/Jeffrey%20Hell%20-%20South%20Fork%20Citico%20Creek%20Trail.htm

Hiking Project — Jeffrey’s Hell Trail #196: https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7085948/jeffreys-hell-trail-196

📺 MEDIA & DOCUMENTATIONDVIDS — Dale Hollow Lake photo of 'town that drowned' goes viral: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/190144/dale-hollow-lake-photo-town-drowned-goes-viral-facebook

Knoxville Museum of Art — Lewis Hine, Home Life, Loyston, TN: https://knoxart.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/CCD74C5A-A59F-4396-9748-165117822420

Visit Monroe TN — Murders & Mysteries: https://www.visitmonroetn.com/murderandmysteries

⛈️⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

🌙 Imagine sitting in the dark, knowing a monster is stepping onto your porch... and there’s no way to call for help. 👀

Tonight we are uncover one of the most chilling, forgotten true crime mysteries in East Tennessee history—and it hits right in my hometown. 🕵️‍♂️

We’re diving deep into the 1920s terror, the brave survivors who stood up to a monster, and the incredible work by Maryville College’s own Dr. Nancy Locklin-Sofer to bring these victims' stories back into the light.🕯️

✨Be sure to subscribe to be notified of which haunted holler we are visiting next!✨

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING

This episode draws from historical research, newspaper archives, court records, and ongoing scholarship related to the Night Marauder case.

🏛️ MARYVILLE COLLEGE RESEARCH

Maryville College — Class Revisits Unsolved Night Marauder Murders

https://www.maryvillecollege.edu/news/2021/maryville-college-class-revisits-unsolved-night-marauder-murders/

American Historical Association — Tracking the Night Marauder: When a Cold Case Becomes a Class Project

https://www.historians.org/perspectives-article/tracking-the-night-marauder-when-a-cold-case-becomes-a-class-project-february-2022/

📺 REGIONAL NEWS COVERAGE

WVLT-TV — 100-Year-Old Murder Mystery Still Haunts East Tennessee

https://www.wvlt.tv/2021/04/15/100-year-old-murder-mystery-still-haunts-east-tennessee/

🔎 ONGOING RESEARCH

The Night Marauder Project

https://thenightmarauderproject.com/

📖 UPCOMING BOOK

The Night Marauder: East Tennessee's Serial Killer, 1919–1926

Dr. Nancy Locklin-Sofer

Barnes & Noble Listing:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-night-marauder-nancy-locklin/1148772836

⛈️⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

🏚️Tonight, we will be exploring a local legend that is passed down orally in the lake side community of Tallassee, TN. 🚤

✨Be sure to subscribe to be notified of which haunted holler we are visiting next!✨

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains?Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀 

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING

This episode explores a local Appalachian legend preserved primarily through oral tradition and community storytelling. Historical documentation surrounding this story is limited, and the account presented here reflects folklore passed down by local residents.

⛈️⁠⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

🐆Tonight, we will be stepping into the tree line to take a look at what watches from the shadows. 👀

✨Be sure to subscribe to be notified of which haunted holler we are visiting next!✨

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 😱

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING

This episode draws from documented Cherokee oral traditions, Appalachian folklore, and regional interpretations of the Wampus Cat legend.

🪶 PRIMARY LEGEND SOURCEAppalachian History — Story of the Wampus Cat

https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2017/10/story-of-wampus-cat.html

🌲 REGIONAL LEGENDS & FOLKLORE

American Folklore — The Wampus Cat

https://www.americanfolklore.net/the-wampus-cat/

🧠 CULTURAL INTERPRETATION & BACKGROUND

HowStuffWorks — What Is the Wampus Cat?https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/wampus-cat.htm

📖 GENERAL REFERENCE

Wikipedia — Wampus Cat Overviewhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wampus_cat

⛈️⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

💧Tonight, on the 2nd episode of Eerie Encounters: Firsthand Frights , I share another one of my experiences...👀

✨Be sure to subscribe to be notified of which haunted holler we are visiting next!✨

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future episode. 📧

⛈️⁠Welcome to Haunted Hollers & Eerie Encounters, where we explore the strangest legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters from the Smoky Mountains and beyond. ⛰️

⛏️Tonight, we search for gold in them there hills of The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. 🪙

✨Be sure to subscribe to be notified of which haunted holler we are visiting next!✨

📬 Have you experienced something strange in the mountains? Strange lights in the woods… phantom footsteps on an otherwise abandoned trail… or something watching you from the tree line? Give me a holler! Send your story to [email protected] and your encounter might be featured on a future Eerie Encounters episode. 👀 

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING

This episode draws from regional history, Appalachian folklore, and documented accounts of mining activity and lost treasure legends in the Great Smoky Mountains.

⛏️ PRIMARY LEGEND SOURCE

Smoky Mountain Camping — Legend of the Lost Smoky Mountain Gold Mine at Greenbrier https://www.smokymountaincamping.com/blog/legend-of-the-lost-smoky-mountain-gold-mine-at-greenbrier/

🌲 REGIONAL LEGENDS & FOLKLORE

Visit My Smokies — Great Smoky Mountain Myths & Legendshttps://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/smoky-mountains/great-smoky-mountain-myths-legends/

Hearthside Cabin Rentals

https://www.hearthsidecabinrentals.com/blog/smoky-mountains/legends-myths-smoky-mountains/

🏛️ HISTORICAL CONTEXT

National Park Service

https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/historyculture/index.htm

Tennessee State Library and Archives

https://sos.tn.gov/tsla

🌲 APPALACHIAN HISTORY

Appalachian History https://www.appalachianhistory.net